The present invention relates generally to management systems, and more particularly to systems and methods for monitoring and managing business meetings and similar business activities.
Meetings are held frequently, often daily, within business and government organizations at virtually every organizational level. Managers and staff often have to routinely check their calendars and set aside time for meetings they have planned for others, and/or for meetings that others have planned that include them.
These meetings typically consume substantial amounts of time and energy from those required to attend, and there may be little measurable or tangible payback to the organization for their costs. Meetings may create managerial dilemmas because of their assumed necessity, and they tend to control schedules, actions and throttle work product of managers and executives throughout an organization. Effective management of business meetings has simply defied simple, practical and enduring solutions. Many books have been written on techniques for conducting effective business meetings with little or no measurable effect on productivity or reducing cost.
Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods for more effectively monitoring and/or managing business meetings and the time and costs associated with them.
The present invention is directed to systems and methods for monitoring and/or managing business meetings and similar business activities. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a system is provided for monitoring time and/or cost related parameters of a meeting activity attended by one or more attendees. The system includes memory circuitry, timer circuitry, and a processor coupled to the memory circuitry and the timer circuitry. The memory circuitry stores a total unit time cost parameter that is a sum of individual unit time cost data of each attendee of the meeting activity. The timer circuitry, preferably a real time clock, provides elapsed time data during the course of the meeting.
The processor calculates a metered cost parameter based upon the total unit time cost parameter stored in the memory circuitry and the elapsed time data provided by the timer circuitry. The processor may also calculate a total elapsed time parameter based upon the difference between a current time value and a start time value provided by the timer circuitry at the beginning of the meeting activity, and/or may store a total number of attendees parameter in the memory circuitry, indicating the number attendees attending the meeting.
In addition, the system includes a display device coupled to the processor for displaying the metered cost parameter. The display device is preferably a liquid crystal display (LCD), and more preferably includes a plurality of liquid crystal displays for displaying a plurality of predetermined time and/or cost related parameters in addition to the metered cost parameter. For example, the total number of attendees, the total unit time cost parameter, a start time for the meeting, a planned duration for the meeting, the total elapsed time since the start of the meeting, current real time, and the like may be displayed using the system. Thus, the system may be prominently displayed at a meeting site for all attendees to see, the system displaying dynamic time and cost elements of the meeting activity. The visual and constant reminder provided may facilitate keeping the meeting focused and productive.
In a preferred form, the system also includes an electronic sensor, such as a bar code reader, for scanning an identification device of each attendee, such as an identification card, to acquire the individual unit time cost data. The processor adds or subtracts individual unit time cost data to the total unit time cost parameter stored in the memory circuitry each time that an identification device is scanned by the electronic sensor, i.e., each time an attendee arrives at or withdraws from the meeting. The processor preferably extracts the individual unit time cost data from individual identification data acquired from the identification devices scanned by the electronic sensor. Alternatively, the system may include a storage device, and the processor may extract the individual unit time cost data from the storage device based upon an individual identifier code acquired from the identification device scanned by the electronic sensor. The processor may also increase or decrease a total number of attendees parameter stored in the memory circuitry each time that an identification device is scanned by the electronic sensor.
The system may also include an interface panel, for example, including an input port and/or an output port, for coupling the system to an external computer. The interface panel may facilitate uploading of software or data into the system and/or downloading the parameters monitored and stored by the system for subsequent analysis. More preferably, the interface panel enables the system to be coupled to an organization""s server or other computer network. The system and the monitored parameters may then be remotely monitored from a central location during the course of a meeting, e.g., to locate a specific executive or other individual attendee.
More importantly, the data monitored by the system may be used by an organization""s management information or accounting departments. The resulting data may be compiled to facilitate analysis of meeting activities, to promote accountability, efficiency and lower costs.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for monitoring a meeting activity at a meeting site attended by one or more attendees. Initially, an electronically stored total unit time cost parameter may be increased or decreased by a predetermined value when an attendee arrives at or withdraws from the meeting site, respectively, e.g. in memory circuitry. An elapsed time parameter of the meeting activity may be monitored, for example, using a real time clock.
A metered cost parameter of the meeting activity may be electronically calculated based upon the total unit time cost and elapsed time parameters, and the metered cost parameter may then be displayed at the meeting site, for example on an LCD display. In addition, an electronically stored total number of attendees parameter may also be increased or decreased when an attendee arrives at or withdraws from the meeting site, respectively, and this parameter may also be displayed. More preferably, the elapsed time includes a plurality of periodic time values, e.g. one minute intervals, and the metered cost parameter is calculated by periodically comparing current values of the total unit time cost parameter with the respective periodic time values.
In one preferred form, each attendee has an identification device including individual unit time cost data thereon, and an electronic sensor is provided for reading the identification device for acquiring the individual unit cost data. The identification device of an attendee may be scanned with the electronic sensor, thereby acquiring the attendee""s individual unit time cost data to be electronically stored, for example, in the memory circuitry. In addition, the identification device may include individual identification data, and the individual identification data may also be electronically stored when the identification device is scanned. More preferably, the electronic sensor is a bar code reader, and the identification devices are individual identification cards including a bar code including the individual unit time cost data thereon.
More preferably, an electronic system is provided at the meeting to facilitate the method of monitoring time and cost-related parameters of a business meeting at the meeting site, the system including a processor, a timer, the memory circuitry and a display, such as that described above. Individual identification data corresponding to each attendee in attendance at the meeting site may be stored in the memory circuitry. Individual unit time cost data may be added to or subtracted from the memory circuitry in response to the individual identification data, thereby providing a total unit time cost parameter corresponding to all of the attendees at the meeting site. Elapsed time data may be provided by the timer, a total metered cost of the meeting may be calculated by the processor by comparing the total unit time cost parameter to the elapsed time data, and the total metered cost may be displayed on the display.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.